I'll Make A Man Outta You ( Corrin x Hinoka )
by sakura.hime27
Summary: When Hinoka enlists in the army disguised as a boy, her plan was to get revenge against all Nohrians. What she didn't plan on, however, was to find a Nohrian boy so freaking charming. [ Corrin x Hinoka ] Inspired slightly by Mulan.
1. Chapter 1

**Synopsis:**

When Hinoka enlists in the army disguised as a boy, her plan was to get revenge against all Nohrians. What she didn't plan on, however, was to find a Nohrian boy so freaking charming. [ Corrin x Hinoka ]

Inspired slightly by Mulan.

* * *

 **** SIBLING CHANGES ****

Ryoma and Sakura are related to each other.

Hinoka and Takumi are related, but not to Ryoma and Sakura (also meaning not related to Sumeragi and Mikoto.)

Same with Xander/Elise and Leo/Corrin.

Camilla is an only child.

Xander/Ryoma are princes, but not Takumi/Leo/Corrin.

* * *

The village was asleep.

Stars tinted the night like freckles in the sky as the young Hoshidan stood in her room. A torch near the wall gave the space copious illumination. Though the air was still, she could hear the wind calling her to her fate.

It was official. Hoshido and Nohr were at war with each other.

The mailboys have been spreading news trying to enkindle courage into the hearts of young men in hopes that they'd enroll into the army, and to be quite frank, Hoshido could really use the help.

This is what Hinoka has devoted her entire life to. While other little girls were taught house chores and given dolls for their birthday, Hinoka has been taught combat alongside her brother Takumi and given small naginata reference books for her birthday.

"This is bad," said her father one day at the dinner table. "Looks like Nohr's planning an attack on Hoshido soon. Man, I'd lend a hand if I could but I'm no longer an eligible soldier."

Her father lost a leg in an incident when she was only 5 years old. He was a soldier at the time, and was bested in battle against a Nohrian. Ever since then, Hinoka's wanted to carry on his legacy.

There was only one problem.

Hoshido's emergency recruit wasn't accepting women. A woman's life was to be preserved, holding more value than a man's since birth rates were beginning to fall. But that sure wasn't about to stop Hinoka.

She knew her family wouldn't like the idea, which was why tonight was a special night. It was the night when she would sneak out and enroll into the army — disguised as a boy.

She could feel her blood pumping from her heart at a faster rate as she observed her appearance in the mirror. She stood tall, only dressed in black boyshorts and white bandages wrapped around her chest. She's always been a tomboy, but tonight in particular Hinoka was immensely grateful for her rather androgynous features. It also helps that she's already been mistaken for both genders before in her lifetime - which was something she wasn't necessarily proud of, but she usually rejects the idea of acting ladylike anyway.

The only person she's told about all this was her brother. Growing up with one constantly by the other's side, it was only natural that Takumi and Hinoka not only acknowledge the fact that they're siblings, but they also consider each other best friends. Since Takumi has always supported Hinoka's dream, he left her a change of clothes from his own wardrobe - something Hinoka could use to appear more masculine.

After changing into Takumi's clothes, Hinoka inspected her reflection in the mirror once again, her jaw dropping as she let out a low gasp. She barely recognized herself. The clothes fit her perfectly and she pulls off the look well. _She can do this._ She can pass off as a boy. It got her blood pumping with excitement and anticipation.

Hinoka then quietly made her way outside, making sure to leave the letter she wrote to her parents - saying where she's going and not to worry - and snuck into her dad's weaponry room. Although her weapon of choice as a Sky Knight are naginatas, she took one of the old katanas she remembers practicing with. Besides, it'd seem more natural to walk around with a sheathed sword than a large lance, right?

Hinoka nodded to herself and secured the scabbard on her waist before setting out into town. The moon was out, and the streets were quiet. She kept her head low and her hands lazily stuffed in her pockets. She remembered Takumi saying she'd look more masculine if she furrowed her eyebrows a certain way and puffed out her chest, establishing dominance in her own personal space. She had failed to find the accuracy of the advice and thought it was stupid to think a certain crease in the brow resulted in a more masculine or feminine look, but tonight she found herself contorting her facial features in ways she thought would give her a manly vibe.

After minutes of walking, Hinoka looked up to see a group of soldiers gathered near the gate to the capital. On the walls were the recruitment flyers, and she figured she'd just try out her luck.

"Excuse me," her voice didn't come out as husky as she tried to make it sound. "Is this group recruiting soldiers?"

"Sorry, man, you'd have to ask our Captain Tsubaki over there." The soldier pointed to a man dressed in fancy, Hoshidan attire. His hair was long and a darker shade than Hinoka's blood red color.

"Thanks," she gave a slight nod in gratitude and proceeded to stride towards the higher ranking soldier. She was relieved to hear she was addressed as 'man' in that sentence, confirming her disguise was working perfectly.

She approached Captain Tsubaki about joining the group on whatever mission was set for them. "It'd probably be best to recruit at the Capital," he said, "but since we can take all the men we can get, I'll take responsibility for you." He smiled at her. "Welcome to the crew."

"Thank you so much, sir. I hope to be of help," Hinoka bowed respectfully.

"No problem, um…" he trailed off as a request for her name.

"Hi—"

She instantly stopped herself. It would be smart to go by an alias, rather than her real name. Besides, _Hinoka_ is a rather feminine name, and the last thing she wanted was for them to be suspicious of her gender.

She cleared her throat. "Hiroki."

"Ah, Hiroki. Lovely to have you. Do you have a preferred weapon?" Tsubaki glanced at her scabbard.

"Naginatas, sir. Though I'm quite skilled with a sword as well," she said.

"Naginatas, huh? You interested in being a Sky Knight?"

Tsubaki was sure he saw her eyes sparkle. "Very much so."

"You'll be just like me, then," he grinned.

* * *

Tsubaki's troops wasted no time in the march to Nohr. The plan was to meet up with an anti-Nohr Resistance group in Cheve, which meant they had to travel by sea as well. There was a limited amount of horses the group could extract, so most of the army was on foot, and Hinoka was one of them.

 _Better to build up some stamina and prove yourself to be one of the tougher, more dependable ones, right?_ Hinoka's mind was wandering. She was lucky enough to make it this far, and she had more fighting spirit in her than even her own family thought possible.

"So this mission of ours is to gather information from the resistance group in Nohr?"

Hinoka looked up at the sound of a voice next to her to find a man with wild hair and a staff strapped on his waist.

"U-Uh.. Yes," she answered, not expecting to find someone to speak with so soon. She was immersed in her thoughts and battle strategies that she hasn't taken the time to really look at her comrades.

"And, what, we are tasked with the mission of rescuing a few careless retainers?"Hinoka's eyes widened slightly, though she tried not to let the fact that his words had surprised her show in the furrow of her brows.

"You've got guts to talk about the royal family that way," she uttered.

"Well let's face it - they're the royal family's _retainers_ , there's a difference."

"Captain Tsubaki's one, so I'd suggest you keep your voice down," Hinoka skimmed the area around them, even though she knew the captain was far in the front, riding his pegasus by foot.

"Right, but he's not one of the careless ones," the man said, a visible grin on his face. "I'm not sure why the Prince and Princess don't just get new retainers as replacements."

"They would never do that," Hinoka rolled her eyes. "Besides, were you even paying attention to Captain Tsubaki's orders?"

"If I was, I wouldn't have asked for clarification about what the mission was," he retorted. "I'm afraid I hadn't gotten much sleep last night thanks to my good friend, so no one would kill me if I dozed off a bit, right?" Hinoka merely shrugged, amused by the man's demeanor though still not quite sure how to deal with it. Was he always this carefree? "I'm Azama, by the way."

"I'm… Hiroki." It'd be a while before she was actually used to that.

"So very, very lovely to make your acquaintance, my good sir, Hiroki," Azama cried out in a fancy voice. "Are you aware, sir, that your name means 'large brightness'? Are you the light that will guide us through success during our mission?"

Hinoka cracked a smile. He sure knew how to take minds off of the fact that they could engage combat at any minute.

She decided to humor him a bit. "Actually, you have the wrong spelling. My name is written with the characters meaning 'spacious woods'," she corrected.

"Ah! So you are the woods itself. How lovely to become part of the terrain you trek upon." Azama then suddenly lowered his voice, a hint of teasing emphasized in his words. "Though I'm still a bigger fan of 'large brightness'."

"Say what you must to keep you sleeping at night," Hinoka bumped her arm into his - something she did often with Takumi. She wasn't quite sure what it was about Azama, but she already felt at ease. Like she had someone she could trust.

Before Hinoka knew it, they had traveled far from the Plains of Hoshido and Tsubaki ordered the troops to take a break and set up camp for the night. They had a lot of hours of marching ahead of them, as well as a very formidable boat ride across the Hoshidan and Nohrian sea.

* * *

A young woman with short, blonde hair and appealing freckles greeted the troops at Port Town of Dia - and since it was Nohrian territory, the Hoshidans didn't waste any time in fleeing to the woods to have a better chance at being hidden from Nohrian soldiers. After long days of marching and getting sea sick, Cheve seemed just around the corner, and Hinoka can feel her entire body tensing.

The air smelled different, the skies were darker, and the scenery around her seemed to lack saturation. Hinoka has never stepped foot into Nohrian territory before, but none of what she has now seen of it surprised her.

As the army advanced to meet up with the rest of the Resistance, Hinoka finally had a turn at riding a horse. Though she would never admit it, her feet were killing her, and no matter how invincible she tried to appear on the outside, she has never hiked this much before in her lifetime.

" _Man!_ Must be so nice to have a break from walking," Hinata let out with a big, dramatic sigh.

Hinoka and Azama met him the very first night, when they had to share a tent with him. Hinoka's first impression of Hinata was the 'real cool and laid back swordsman.' She was also a bit too impressed by the scar across his left cheek. She made up many stories in her head about how he could've possibly gotten it - like an intense one-on-one sword fight with a big burly guy - even though in reality, the scar was small enough to even be called a cooking accident.

"If you switch with me, I'll share half my food portions with you," Azama attempted a futile bribe.

Hinoka looked at him as if eggs were popping out of his ears. "You kidding? You were the last one of us on a horse!"

Azama mumbled a few complaints and Hinoka ignored them, looking up at the sunset in front of her. She thought about her mom and dad, and Takumi. Were they okay? Were they worried about her? Were they mad that she took off to do such a dangerous thing without telling them?

She barely had time to ponder these thoughts before a man's scream infiltrated everyone's attentive ears. The army stopped simultaneously, looking around until Hinoka then spotted one of their troops on the grass, blood spluttering from his left shoulder.

"He's been hit!" someone shouted.

"Someone get a medic!"

Hinoka quickly unmounted from the horse, giving Azama a shove. "Move! That man needs your help!"

Azama sighed. "Do I really _have_ to?"

"GO!"

Both Hinata and Hinoka dragged the lazy monk towards the man on the ground. As they got closer, they saw he had been struck with a bow.

"It seems we're under attack," Tsubaki said, loud enough so that the men could hear him. "Everyone be careful. Watch the trees for Nohrians, and help your comrades."

Just as he finished his sentence, another yell came from a different guy, who's heart was pierced with the same kind of bow.

There was a wave of frantic muttering as everyone pulled out their weapons and checked their surroundings. Hinoka's hand found itself gripping the new steel naginata she was given to use at any moment. She then caught a glimpse of brown hair hiding in the trees, and she wasted no time to act on it.

"Over there!" she yelled, dashing straight towards the hidden shadow. Her yell triggered battle cries and soon, Nohrian soldiers emerged from behind different trees and a battle broke out. Hinoka chased the archer until she was close enough where she knew she could make the shot. Angling her naginata, she waited for the right moment and took a chance, swinging it towards the fleeing man's direction and piercing his chest.

The Nohrian archer's body fell to the ground and Hinoka removed her Hoshidan spear from the dead man. She felt herself panting as a wave of guilt rushed through her. Though she held righteous hatred for these people, a life is still a life.

Though this is just the beginning.

Hinoka let out a shaky breath before hearing a sudden rustle among the bushes. Her head was quick to raise and she scanned the area for the source of the sound. It wasn't long until someone emerged from the bushes and darted head on for an attack. Hinoka blocked the sword aimed at her with the top of her naginata.

"Filthy Hoshidan," muttered the boy, struggling to break through Hinoka's block. "Why must you come here?"

Hinoka took a few seconds to really look at the boy. His hair was as white as a lily's petal and he had dark blood red eyes that could've been all the more intimidating if Hinoka didn't find herself so mesmerized just gazing at them. She noticed his ears were slightly pointy, making her wonder if he was some kind of manakete, and the grass were his only shoes.

She hated to admit it — this guy was _extremely_ attractive. But the words he had just mumbled towards her told her he was Nohrian, and she never thought in a million years she'd almost blush at the presence of a Nohrian scum.

His attire screamed Nohrian. But his footwear - or rather, _lack of_ footwear - told her otherwise. Not to mention his extremely appealing foreign qualities adorning his facial features. His eyebrows were a pretty, gray color, and they creased in frustration as he glared at her. There was a drop of sweat slowly gliding down his temple, and his teeth clenched, almost in a growl.

With a quick grunt, Hinoka pulled back from the block and pointed the spear threateningly at the alluring boy in front of her.

"I'm here to kill your people."


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N:**

Do let me know what you guys think of the story so far! :)

* * *

"I'm here to kill your people."

Corrin's eyes blazed into Hinoka's with heat as molding and fierce as a Hoshidan village on fire. How many times had he been part of an invasion, watching as people's homes went down in flames? He'd lost count. At first, he knew he had no choice - no one defies King Garon's orders and lives to see another day. But it didn't stop the nightmares from happening. How many family members' lives he stole. How many children's homes he burnt. How many parents' happiness he's stolen. He could hear the screams of villagers every night when he rested his head and closed his eyes.

There was a day when the nightmares had stopped, when the pain went away, when he became numb to it all. He'd hated Hoshido since the day they took his sister's life. He was now all alone. She was all he ever had. Parents? He had none.

"Kill my people?" Corrin's words came out in laughter. Hinoka's body shook at the unexpected reaction. "That's all you Hoshidans know how to do, huh?"

His sword came down at Hinoka and took a stab at her calf. She yelped in sudden pain and made her first mistake - dropping her spear. The sun was barely visible in the sky as night seeped through, and Hinoka could see smoke from a fire signal in the air.

 _Retreat._

No way. Had the Nohrians bested them already? Where could she flee to? It didn't matter. As long as she could make it to Cheve, she should be able to find the Resistance and get help.

She watched as the pants she'd borrowed from Takumi became stained with her blood. He'd given her his clothes so she could better accomplish her dreams, but things aren't looking so good anymore.

She reached for her spear and stabbed it to the ground, using it to help her stand. Her eyes were locked into the boy in front of her.

"It's you Nohrian scum who cause nothing but destruction," she said, almost in a growl. Corrin's eyes widened for a moment and he wasted no time in swinging his sword. Hinoka blocked his attack and her spear went flying backward once more.

"It's over," he murmured.

He raised his sword and Hinoka sucked in a quick breath of air, quickly analyzing different strategies that could potentially get her out of her imminent situation. But before Corrin could land the finishing blow, a voice stopped the scene from unfolding.

"Don't."

Corrin paused and turned to look at the approaching figure. Hinoka immediately noticed this person's Nohrian attire. It was a boy that looked around the same age as the one who tried to kill her, but his hair was blonde and his eyes were full of determination and excessive confidence. There was a smirk plastered across the young boy's face, and he held a tome in one hand while the other was placed amusingly at his waist.

"I've got a better idea, Corrin," the boy said.

Hinoka's ears perked up.

 _Corrin_.

So that's the name of her murderer. Well, she's not exactly dead, but you get the idea.

"Hey you," Blondie's eyes were now on her. "Pathetic Hoshidan. What is your name?"

Hinoka scoffed, slowly backing away from the two boys in the grass. Blondie raised his tome and a magic aura encircled his right hand.

"I suggest you render escape as futile," his eyes held an intense, threatening glow.

R-Right. Hinoka had to play it safe… for now.

"Hiroki," she murmured.

"Well then, Hiroki, consider this your lucky day." The magic aura simmered down and the blonde boy lowered his tome. "We're letting you live."

"Leo, what—"

"Silence, brother," he turns to Corrin.

 _Brother?_

"He could be of use to us," Leo confirms.

Hinoka looked frantically between the two brothers. She didn't like where this was going. Before she knew it, Blondie - or Leo - had his tome on standby once again and he approached her tactically.

Within seconds, pain erupted within every nerve in her body and she yelled out in pain.

"Leo!" Corrin pushed his brother's shoulder, and the younger man took a few steps back. "What are you doing to him?!"

He scoffed. "What? Weren't you the one who raised a sword against him?"

"What you're doing now is just torture," Corrin frowned. When the pain began to subside, Hinoka panted in an attempt to catch her breath. She looked up menacingly at the boys - this sure wasn't helping her like Nohrians any better.

Leo stared at his brother for a few seconds and let out a sigh. "We're taking him with us - for now. We could use the information he knows about Hoshido's planned attacks. We _know_ they have some sort of strategy, and this guy can be the key for us to plan two steps ahead."

"I'm not selling out my country," Hinoka spat. She was enraged. She'd much prefer it if the charming boy had just killed her before Blondie stepped into the picture. If it means they're planning to use her and discard her as they please, she'd much appreciate it.

"Now, now, be grateful for your life," Leo gave her a small smile, and she couldn't tell if it was sarcastic or if he actually tried to put some actual meaning into it. "We should return to camp soon. The skies are falling."

It was tough for Hinoka to keep up with those Nohrian jerks and follow them all the way back to their camp - which actually meant two tents and a fire burning in the middle. A young girl with long, purple hair was roasting fish near the fire and she immediately greeted the two boys upon their return.

"Ah, Corrin, Leo," her smile was true, "Welcome back." They waved back in acknowledgement before the girl noticed Hinoka treading along behind them. "And who might this be?"

"A Hoshidan," Leo answered firmly. Hinoka's hands had been wrapped with a little more rope than they needed, so that they could tug her along and she wasn't out of sight. "We managed to grab a hold of one. I plan to get information about when and where Hoshido plans to make a move."

"Hmm," the girl leans forward with interest. "That's… about the smartest thing I've ever heard. Nice thinking."

Leo smirks and pushes Hinoka along so that she stood right in front of the girl.

"I'm Camilla," the young girl says, pushing her long and wavy, perfect locks over her shoulder. She gives her a smile that Hinoka finds strange, but she couldn't quite figure out why. When Hinoka's silence leaves them in stares, Leo chimes in, "He's Hiroki."

Camilla takes a bite of her roasted fish before raising it up to Hinoka. "You must be hungry."

She says nothing.

Camilla flickers her gaze from Corrin to Leo and repeats the process about five times before letting out a small sigh and leaning back on the log she sat on. "He's not much of a talker, is he?"

"Well we did kidnap him." Corrin's voice is low, almost a whisper. Leo looks at him.

"Yes, but we finally have an advantage over Hoshido," Camilla points out, also eyeing the boy curiously. "I thought you wanted revenge on these guys?"

"Not like this," he murmurs, and Hinoka watches as he disappears into his tent. She feels her heart flutter a bit, not wanting to be left alone with Leo and Camilla. Sure, the white haired boy almost killed her, but out of the 3 Nohrians here, he seems to be more on her side… Well, kind of.

Hinoka can't tell if Corrin prefers it if they just killed her or what, but hey, the situation could be worse. They made it clear they need her alive, so all she needs now is a foolproof escape plan.

Not that it'd be easy or anything.

"Get ready to talk tomorrow," Leo whispers in her ear. "I'm letting you off the hook tonight since we all need the rest, but don't think you're saved just yet."

Hinoka shoots him a glare and not long after, Corrin comes back from his tent holding a rag and an empty bucket.

"What's that for?" Camilla's eyes are locked on the items he carried.

"His leg was bleeding earlier."

"Whoa, whoa," Leo steps in front of him. "You're going to heal the enemy?"

"This should just stop the bleeding," Corrin's gaze burns into Leo's. "What, you want our 'tool' to get an infection and die before we could use him?"

Leo opens his mouth to say something but shuts his lips together tightly. Corrin grabs the part of the rope that hung from over Hinoka's wrist and prompted her to start walking. She wasn't sure where he was taking her, but she limped beside him nevertheless.

* * *

It was pitch black. The forest was a dangerous place at night, so Hinoka wasn't sure why Mr. Charming over here thought it'd just be a _fantastic_ idea to take a midnight stroll. But as they kept on walking, she started to hear the sound of running water. Not far ahead of them, faint light seeped from the trees and Hinoka's eyebrows furrowed the way she thought made her look masculine and she stared at Corrin's back as he walked in front of her. The armor he wore defined his toned body, and Hinoka found she was mesmerized by the way he walked. When they arrived at the scene, Hinoka could not believe her eyes - a large river streaming fresh water, flowers amongst the grass, and fireflies scattered everywhere, granting purifying lighting.

Corrin stopped and slowly turned to meet her eyes. The way he looked at her wasn't the same as earlier today, when rage filled his blood-colored eyes. No, tonight he was gazing upon her with curiosity. Hinoka must've looked really impressed by the scenery because Corrin cracked a small smile at the corner of his lips.

"Breathtaking," he finally spoke, "Isn't it?"

Hinoka continued to scan her surroundings. "Um.. Y-Yeah," she managed to squeak out. When she looked back at him, his smile was gone.

"I used to come here all the time," he said, kneeling down. He lowered the bucket into the river and let it collect water for a while before bringing it up to the grass. He tugged on Hinoka's rope end and she knowingly leaned down to his level before sitting down.

She watched as he shook the rag and a piece of cloth fell down, and then he dipped the rag into the bucket and squeezed the water out before applying it to her injury. Hinoka flinched.

"I should have killed you back there," he said quietly. He's completely focused on what he's doing, not looking her in the eyes.

Hinoka glanced at his progress on treating her wound before staring at him and his stupid, perfect facial features.

"Then why didn't you?" she asks, and rolls her eyes at her own dumb question. She knows why - Leo's the reason why, but still Corrin enlightened her by not giving her the obvious answer.

"It's too late now. I can't do anything that'll make me stand out as a soldier. Not unless I have a death wish," he scoffed, lowering the wet rag and exchanging it for the piece of cloth. "If Leo told King Garon he got his hands on another Hoshidan hostage and that I killed him, Garon would question my loyalty, for I just wasted a great opportunity to get a lead on Hoshido."

He began to wrap the cloth around Hinoka's leg. "But.. Isn't Leo your brother? If you were to kill me, why would he bring it up to Garon in the first place?"

Corrin tightened the knot, grabbed the rag soiled in Hinoka's blood and began to wash it in the bucket. Hinoka tilted her head to the right, waiting curiously for an answer that never came.

After Corrin was done, he stood up, replaced the dirty water in the bucket with a fresh load, and tugged on Hinoka's rope. "Let's go. We should get some sleep."

She's not sure why in the Gods' name she noticed it just now, but Hinoka could hear a slight accent in Corrin's voice. Something that definitely distinguished him from Hoshido. Something that proved he's foreign. And Hinoka couldn't figure out why, but she thought she might even love it. The rough but firm vocals that adorned his voice almost atoned for the fact that he's Nohrian. And no matter how far her hate for Nohr has gone, it was almost a miracle at how forgiving she was being tonight. All because of… this _boy._ What kind of sickening magic is he pulling? At this rate, Hinoka would have no choice but to believe he'd cast a hex on her.

"Hiroki." Hearing his exotic voice again snaps her from her thoughts, and she almost doesn't recognize that he's speaking to her.

That's right… She was going by the name of Hiroki - a reminder that she had a gender identity to hide. And daydreaming about her enemy wasn't very masculine, no matter how charming this boy may appear. She's managed to uphold her image as a male, Hoshidan soldier and she can't give it up just yet.

"R-Right," she stands up and they begin to walk back.


	3. Chapter 3

**A / N:**

Phew, it's been a while since I've written for this story! Things have been busy lately, but now that it's summer, I can take it easy.

I'm hoping to keep updating, more often this time :)

Reviews and feedback are much appreciated!

* * *

Hinoka awoke with the grass tickling her nose. With ruffling eyelashes she turned to her back and slowly gazed up at the sky. She stared for a few seconds before her body jolted forward and she scanned her surroundings with haste. The Nohrian's camp certainly looked different among daylight. It didn't take her much time to spot Blondie - er, Leo - dismounting a black horse in which she failed to notice the existence of yesterday night. She found herself frowning before his eyes met hers and she looked down at the grass.

"You're awake," he commented. She gradually lifted her head, wondering where Purple Locks and Mr. Charming had fled to.

Wait.

Camilla and Corrin were both missing. At the same time. Were they… together? As in… Together _together?_ Hinoka's eyes were wide and her cheeks must've been tainted red because Leo gaped at her with slight concern.

"W-What, you have a fever or something?" he asked. "Did Corrin not take care of your injuries yesterday?"

Hinoka shook her head vigorously. "I-It's not that." Why was her heart racing at such thoughts? What does it even matter to her in the first place? He's the _enemy_.

"Then… what?" Leo stared at her intently.

Hinoka's eyes averted towards the cloth Corrin had wrapped around her leg. The bottom was colored a trifling amount of red, though it still hurt to put too much force on it. Don't these people have a healer? Then again, even if they did they wouldn't make sure she's up and running in case she decided to retaliate.

"I haven't eaten in a while…" she murmured. "I guess I must be hungry."

A small smirk formed on the corner of Leo's lips. "Ah, you want food, huh? Right… well you'll have to earn it." He was now towering over her, his gaze threatening like the time he'd unleashed the Brynhildr's magic upon her. She shuddered at the memory. As much as she hated to admit it, with Blondie on the opposing side, Hoshido had a formidable enemy. A master magic user, nonetheless, meaning he had more range than close combat. He was a force to be reckoned with.

Leo's foot came down toward her chest, pinning her to the grass. She once again found herself being grateful for her natural, tabular chest.

"I'll ask again," he said coldly. "What is the Hoshidan army planning?"

Hinoka felt a sweat forming at her temple. What should she do? She surely didn't want to betray anyone. And even less so, she wasn't at all motivated to side with the Nohrians. Hinoka thought fast. Her brain manufactured all kinds of tactics and scenarios until finally, she thought of a risky but potentially effective way to give herself _and_ her allies a bit more time.

"Uhm," she coughed and Leo loosened his grip, "The retainers. We're planning a rescue mission."

It was no lie, but all she had to do was stretch the true a bit.

"Well that's a given," Leo shrugged. "The whole point of capturing them was to lure you filthy Hoshidans in."

Hinoka narrowed her eyes at him as he crossed his arms and took a step away from her. "What? You mean Nohr actually has a reprisal planned?"

"Just who do you think we are?"

This could be bad, Hinoka thought. Maybe being in this position gave her a great opportunity to work out a way to figure out Nohr's plans in order to help Hoshido. In other words, a reverse-betrayal.

"So, what, you're just luring Hoshidan soldiers in to kill them one by one?" she asked, sitting up.

"Hmph," Leo closed his eyes and waved a hand in the air. "That's enough talk about matters that don't entail you. It's about time you stopped stalling and tell me when this rescue mission is scheduled for."

"I don't know," Hinoka replied quickly, and just as fast Leo swung his foot and her back hit the grass with a thud.

"Stop messing with me," he sneered. Hinoka groaned as she sat back up, holding a hand to her stomach where his foot had made the impact.

"In s-seven days time," she spoke, her voice raspy. In reality, Tsubaki's group will reach the retainers in no more than 3 days now. Given that the surprise attack that got Hinoka captured hadn't slowed the rest of them down. She thought about Azama and Hinata and the others. How were they holding up? Do they miss her? Do they think she might be dead?

Leo made a humming sound, as if he was taking in the information she was giving him. Yet it didn't take him long to continue the interrogation.

"How many of you are there?"

* * *

Corrin watched as the liquid inside a potion bottle drastically changed from blue to the deep color of his eyes. As he leaned up to scan the rest of the potions, Camilla rushed to his side.

"Corrin, what do you think of these?" she held up her hand to show him a shiny piece of jewelry resting on her wrist.

"What's that?"

"They're a mage's bracelet - said to enhance a person's magical abilities," she couldn't stop smiling at the heavy jewels. Corrin looked back at the shelf of potions with disinterest.

"Hey, do you really think it was smart to leave Hiroki with Leo?" he said.

"Hiroki?" Camilla blinked. "Ah, that Hoshidan kid? I don't see why not."

"Leo can get pretty vicious when he doesn't get answers, which I'm assuming Hiroki will give him a hard time with."

"Would that be such a bad thing? What, with Nohr gaining the upper hand because of it?" Camilla began to take off the bracelet, looking for a price tag.

Corrin took a few healing potions and placed them inside a leather pouch. _I guess so_ , he thought. I mean, really. Why _did_ he care?

"All these items are set to go," the red-haired merchant gave Corrin back his change and looked up at him. "Anything else?"

"No, thanks."

"How about this lovely necklace - a limited time only purchase?" the woman pulled out a string of chains with occasional purple orbs to decorate the sides. "It'd look absolutely amazing on that pretty girlfriend of yours." Her gaze shifted toward Camilla, whose eyes widen at the compliment. Her expression of shock quickly changed into one of amusement as she nudged Corrin in the arm.

"Yeah, how about it, darling?" she raised her eyebrow suggestively at him.

"Thanks," Corrin took the bag of purchased items, "But no thanks."

The merchant gave him a humorous pout before waving them off as they left the tent. Camilla let out an audible sigh before nudging Corrin in the arm again.

"What was that, you couldn't even get me that glorious pendant?"

"Stop doing things that make people assume we're together," Corrin rolled his eyes, knowing that telling her so wouldn't make her stop. Camilla laughed and wrapped an arm around his neck as they continued to walk.

Teasing Corrin comes to Camilla like second nature, but despite the jokes and her suggestive nature, she thinks of him as more of a younger brother. They've known each other for quite some time and have grown comfortable around one another. But just then, as her arm touched the skin on his neck, Camilla felt her cheeks grow hot. She hadn't opened her eyes enough to realize it, but Corrin's grown into quite the attractive, young man. Being this close to him only makes her more aware of his strong presence, with the scent of fresh soil and nature radiating off of him, and the slight lingering smell of the roasted fish they had eaten the day before.

"So now that we've restocked on necessities, where are we supposed to meet Leo?" His bold, mature voice suddenly rang in her ears.

"He should have gotten some information out of Hiroki by now," she said. "We should meet him at the outskirts of Garou."

* * *

Mount Garou.

Their next destination was Mount Garou.

After arriving at the outskirts of the mountain, Hinoka overheard Leo mumble something about Mr. Charming and Purple Locks being late.

"Is it safe to be out here in this hour?" she shuddered from where she sat on the ground. There was a sense of uneasiness Hinoka felt as the sunset slowly faded to night. Her hands were still tied up, and she heard strange noises coming from the woods. Leo raised a hand.

"Shh!" he hushed, his ears attentive to the sound of rustling. The two looked to their right to see black armor emerge from the bushes, and Camilla bestowed upon them a warm smile.

"We're back, darlings," she said cheerily as Corrin appeared behind her.

"Pleased to see you two are still safe," Leo said in a surprisingly warm tone. Hinoka looked down at her feet, refusing to greet the Nohrians.

"Hiroki," Corrin's voice rang in her ears. She immediately looked up, getting used to being referred to as her made up, more masculine name. Corrin was suddenly right in front of her, and he leaned down, his scent disseminating into her nose. Hinoka wrinkled her nose and inhaled, finding the smell rather pleasing. "Drink this."

Hinoka eyed the liquid inside the small bottle in his hands. "What's that? Poison?" she frowned.

Corrin scoffed, "I thought we made it clear we're not going to kill you just yet, so I'd much prefer it if you dropped the mistrusting attitude. It's a potion."

Leo was quick to interject. "It's best if we don't completely heal his wound, Corrin. We need this guy slightly handicapped."

"It's alright," Corrin opened the bottle, "It just helps ease the pain and prevent infection. He won't be good as new." Hinoka rolled her eyes and before she knew it, the bottle was being pressed against her lips. She slowly looked up into his eyes, finding no malicious intent in that pool of red, and found her heart fluttering at his foreign features once more. He could be forcing her to chug it down, but instead he's holding the potion close to her and letting her drink out of her own free will. Hinoka really appreciated that. She may have been their hostage, but she was grateful that she wasn't being constantly tortured or anything like that. Were Nohrians always this civilized? She never would have guessed in a million years.

Tilting her head forward, she drank from the small bottle and gulped down the cold liquid. "Thank you," she said in a low voice, praying that he wouldn't have heard her. Corrin stood up and found himself smiling down at her. He had heard loud and clear.

"Alright," Camilla clapped her hands together. "We should try to make it to Keaton's before it gets too dark."

 _Keaton?_ Hinoka thought. _Another Nohrian to deal with._

The crew began treading along the path, Hinoka being dragged by the rope and Leo mounted on his horse. Camilla was engaged in a conversation with Leo, but Hinoka was too tired and preoccupied with her own derailing thoughts to even care to listen. After a while, they all walked in silence and a loud rustle made Hinoka's heart jump.

"What was that?" Corrin asked warily, and the four of them stopped to skim their surroundings for any sign of what had caused the disturbance.

"Hoshidans!" Leo shouted suddenly, preparing his brynhildr for an attack. One of the men fled toward the bushes, and the other ran in the opposite direction. "There's two of them—Corrin make sure to kill the other one!" Leo trailed after one of the men, Camilla running behind him. Corrin was quick to pull Hinoka with him.

"Don't you dare leave my sight," his voice seethed threateningly. Hinoka gulped and did not say a word as she was pulled behind the Nohrian. Her head was racing. _Hoshidans? Did the army not make it to Cheve?_

The two ran after the Hoshidan, and Hinoka squinted ahead, trying to get a glimpse of him and see if she recognized him from Captain Tsubaki's group. As soon as she saw that familiarly wild, brown hair, her eyes widened in disbelief.

 _No… It can't be…_

"Stop!" she shouted, pulling from her end of the rope. Corrin dragged back from the force and stopped himself from tumbling over.

"Bloody hell!" Corrin cursed in frustration. He was losing sight of the fleeing Hoshidan. "What the fuck are you doing?!"

Hinoka's gaze pierced into his. "Just leave him be. You already have me hostage!"

"Who cares? Leo directly gave me orders to kill him." Corrin snapped. "I know you care for your fellow Hoshidans, but this has to be done - we're at war!"

Hinoka glared at him with unspoken intensity. Corrin kicked her leg and she came tumbling to the floor, ensuring she wouldn't try to escape. He then took off after the Hoshidan, while Hinoka yelped out from the pain and recoiled to sit up. She looked to her vicinity and sighed when she realized she had lost sight of both Corrin and the Hoshidan.

 _Could that have been…_

Her thoughts were interrupted by more rustling, and a shadowy figure sprung out towards her. Her breath hitched and relief washed over her as she realized it was indeed who she thought it'd be.

"Azama!" she whispered loudly, unable to help how excited she was to see him. "How are you here?! _Why_ are you here? What happened after the ambush?"

Azama pressed a finger to her lips in an attempt to silence her. "It's nice to see you're still up and breathing, Hiroki. Though death comes to us all eventually," Azama smiled at her, and the corner of Hinoka's lips raised in return. She had missed his distinguished sense of humor.

"Azama, we don't have a lot of time. Who were you traveling with? The Nohrians are after someone else, too." Hinoka spoke quickly.

"Hinata and I got separated from our group. We're heading to Cheve to regroup with everyone. Did those scum take you hostage?" he said with a surprisingly unforgiving tone. "Come with us!"

"N-No, I can't yet," Hinoka winced as she tried to stand up, but her leg failed her. _So Hinata was the other Hoshidan. Hope he manages to escape okay,_ she thought.

"Hey, let me take a look at that," Azama said, leaning closer and inspecting Hinoka's leg. He detached his staff from his belt and began working his healing magic. In a matter of seconds, Hinoka felt all her pain subsiding and her leg was fully restored. She looked at Azama gratefully before hearing steps coming in their direction.

She gasped. "He's coming back," she said. "Listen, Azama, I'll find some way to join you guys back in Cheve. The Nohrians need me alive and, if anything, my leg is better so I can run if needed. Make sure to tell Captain Tsubaki that the Nohrians have a counterattack planned. I bought everyone some time by telling them the attack is in a week, so plan carefully."

"Hiroki, no…" Azama whispered. "Come with us…"

Hinoka stood quickly and shoved the Azama forward. "Please. Run!" she told him, just as Corrin emerged from the trees.

"Halt!" he shouted at the monk, pulling his sword out in an attack stance. Azama ran into the woods and Hinoka prayed the dark sky would hide Azama from the Nohrians and allow safe escape.

"It's useless, Corrin," Hinoka stood in his way. "He's gone."

Corrin let out a low growl and stabbed his sword into the ground. "What the hell are you planning?"

Hinoka blinked at him innocently. "Nothing. I'd just rather continue to be a hostage then let you hurt a comrade."

Corrin scoffed in annoyance, picking his sword up before returning it to its sheath. "Try anything—anything—and I swear I _will_ kill you."

Hinoka gave a small nod and Corrin picked up the rope, tugging her along. When they returned back to the path towards Mount Garou, they were surprised to see both Camilla and Leo there.

"About time," Blondie said, mounting his horse. "Did you get rid of that pesky Hoshidan?"

Corrin closed his eyes with regret. "He got away."

"What—?!" Leo started, only to be interrupted by Purple Locks.

"It's alright, Corrin. We're sure to run into him again," Camilla defended him. "We can take care of him then."

Corrin nodded slowly before looking up. "How were things on your end?"

Leo let out a quick laugh. "Camilla didn't even give me a chance to do a thing - she disposed of the bastard quickly."

Hinoka's breath nearly stopped. _What? Hinata… was killed?_

She frantically looked to Camilla to confirm Leo's words. "That's right! My job is becoming almost _too_ easy," she smiled at Corrin.

"N-No…" Hinoka murmured under her breath. _Not Hinata. He didn't deserve such a fate._

Corrin glanced at the 'boy' beside him and turned. "We should hurry to Garou," his voice was cold of emotion.

It took all of Hinoka's strength not to break down in tears. She clenched her fists tightly, digging her nails hard into her skin. _These Nohrian scum are going to pay…_

"Right," Camilla giggled. "To Mount Garou it is!"


	4. Chapter 4

**A / N:**

Hope you guys are enjoying the story so far :)

Feedback and reviews always appreciated!

* * *

Night had fallen quicker than the gang had thought, and it was Camilla's idea to set up camp in the meantime. They would head to Mount Garou's core and meet with a Nohrian named Keaton before proceeding to a plan yet unknown to Hinoka.

Speaking of the Hoshidan soldier, she was a mess, to say the least. The idea of her dear comrade, Hinata, being put to death at the hands of Nohrian scum was not what she wanted for her friend. She didn't know Azama and Hinata for that long, but the three hit it off immediately upon meeting each other. She had not felt closer to others the way she did with them, with the exception of her brother Takumi. Something about them made her feel safe and at ease.

But now Hinata was gone - and she could only hope Azama found a route to safety.

Though being on Nohrian territory alone was dangerous, Hinoka had faith that her monk friend had the wits to survive. He just didn't seem like the type to die so easily. Then again, neither did Hinata…

"Hiroki," Corrin suddenly spoke, his face illuminated by the fire beside him. Hinoka slowly looked up at him, feeling numb from her loss. "Stand up, I'm going to clean your wound."

Blondie made a face, as if tempted to deprecate the way he usually did when Mr. Charming wanted to treat their dear hostage. But he decided against it, as he knew he would get the same response he always got. Hinoka stared at the campfire, gripping her tied hands together in self-restraint.

"Hiroki," Corrin repeated, his eyes piercing into her with his blood-red irises. His tone sounded significantly more threatening, and if Hinoka wasn't erupting in anger, she would know better than to make him ask twice.

"Just leave him alone," Leo murmured. "He probably hates our guts right now. We killed his friend." He was carving something into bark he picked up somewhere to pass the time. He focused on his task, carefully peeling with his pocket knife. "Though this _is_ war, so he should just get over it."

" _Leo,_ " Camilla warned, not wanting to rub salt in the wound. "That's enough."

Leo offered a small shrug before turning his focus back into the carvings. Hinoka glanced back to Mr. Charming and saw him shuffling around to get that same bucket and rag. It was then that her eyes widened.

Azama healed her back there. Her leg was as good as new.

Hinoka knew better than to let Corrin find out that her wound was gone and to put all the pieces together. And somehow she didn't think things would go the way she wanted if that happened.

 _Crap_ , she thought. She scanned her surroundings with haste, deciding she needed to wound herself in order for it to seem as though she didn't get any outside help. Especially not from a Hoshidan she managed to let escape. But Hinoka was no simpleton - she knew she had to inflict an injury she could endure, in case she ever needed to flee. The question was how she was going to pull this off with her hands tied.

Hinoka let out a deep breath and stood up with leisure. She saw the intensity in Corrin's eyes fade away at the fact that she had done what he had asked of her. And with that, he grabbed the rope and they began walking.

As they strolled along, Hinoka inspected their surroundings, looking for something—anything—sharp enough to inflict a cut on her leg. As soon as she saw a rock with a sharp corner, she dragged her foot through the ground and faked tripping. Corrin stopped from the noise. She managed to quickly grab the rock and run it across her calf, where her previous wound had been, in the same amount of time it took Corrin to turn around to see what had happened. It wasn't easy with her hands tied in front of her, but she got the job done and dropped the rock before grunting loudly - partly because of her fresh wound, and the other to put up an act in front of the Nohrian lad.

"O-Ouch," her breath hitched and she stood back up with a murmur. "Sorry."

Corrin eyed her up and down before turning back around and continuing on their path. Hinoka treaded along behind him before he stopped abruptly once more.

"You okay?" he spoke quietly.

Hinoka felt her cheeks lace themselves with heat. Why was she blushing? Is one act of concern enough for her to feel butterflies in her stomach? She hated that this scum had such effect on her, but she quickly learned to accept that the little things like that make her fluster.

At first, she didn't say anything, as she was almost convinced she had misheard him. But after he curved his head to the right as an act of looking back at her, she knew her mind wasn't playing tricks on her.

"Mhm," she confirmed, her voice going high. Her cheeks flushed redder at the way she let her feminine side take over, and she was quick to clear her throat and invigorate her tone with a more masculine force. "Yeah…"

Hinoka could see a small smile forming on the side of his face and Corrin resumed his walk. "Pfftt-ha!" he let out a hearty laugh, before shaking his head.

Hinoka instantly frowned. "W-What?" she couldn't help but stutter. She stared at his back, his shoulder blades jumping slightly with each of his steps.

"Nothing," he said, though his voice sounded quite amused.

"N-No you're… lying, it's not… It's not _nothing_." She wasn't sure why she was losing her composure.

The minute she heard him laugh for a second time, her eyes widened in awe. She wasn't aware she could be attracted to such a sound, and though she knew she had been upset just a few minutes ago, she couldn't help but feel… at ease. Hinoka wanted to say something in return, but the words were stuck in her mouth and she wasn't able to get them out. Instead, the two continued in silence as they neared the river flow.

The same river they had visited last time ran in this part of the forest. Hinoka noticed that this particular area had less fireflies than the first time she had seen the river, but it was a beautiful illumination regardless. Hinoka sat down on the grass and, once near the edge, Corrin set the bucket down and looked at her.

"I'm feeling quite generous today," he started, "It's been rough this past day so how about you rest up and take a bath?"

Hinoka's ears perked up as she pictured a relaxing bath to lessen the stress on her shoulders, and found herself daydreaming for a bit.

"Would you like to join me?" Corrin asked, and Hinoka was shot back to reality.

 _W-What…?_

Corrin reached up and began dismantling his armor.

 _What?!_

He laid the parts down on the grass, leaving him in his body suit.

 _WHAT?!_

Hinoka found herself blushing for the millionth time, trying hard not to look at Corrin undressing himself in front of her. This was ridiculous - there was no way Hinoka could take up the offer. She's a woman. Corrin is a _man._ She knew the consequences of her cover being blown among her Hoshidan comrades. But who knew what would happen if the Nohrians found out her true identity?

No, no, no, no, no, _no._ She was not going to risk it. She couldn't!

Having a Hoshidan woman as a hostage was way more valuable thanks to the declining birth rates. She could bring an immense disadvantage to her country!

But how could she turn him down while making it sound natural - man to man?

Hinoka sighed. "No, thank you," she spoke in a low voice, taking the I-won't-get-friendly-with-a-Nohrian approach.

Corrin sighed and walked up to her. He kneeled down before her and waited for their eyes to meet. It was then that she realized he was now in just his undergarments and she prayed that the night would hide her heated face. "It's alright, it's not a trick or anything - I really am offering you this chance to relax."

 _Yes, if I was a guy I would totally take you up on that but since I'm not - no way!_ Hinoka thought. Though she still doubted how much she could learn to trust a Nohrian.

"You sure?" The way he was staring at her reminded her why she nicknamed him 'Mr. Charming' in the first place. This boy had facial features carved by the Gods themselves, and the way he looked under that lighting was too good for his own good. It was just that… that _look._ It almost convinced her to forget all consequences and join him. He was asking nicely, after all.

"I-I'm sure," she finalized, finding herself wishing that things could be different.

Maybe if they weren't at war… Maybe if they had met under different circumstances…

And maybe if he knew. If she didn't have to hide her gender from him.

"Alright then…" he trailed off, turning towards the river. Hinoka sighed and closed her eyes, wishing her muscles wouldn't tense up more than they have in just these past few minutes. When Corrin spoke again, she realized he had already emerged into the water, and it seems the river didn't go too deep.

"Say, Hiroki," he began before taking a pause. "Why is it that you hate Nohrians so much?" Hinoka blinked a couple of times, trying to register the question in her head. "I mean, uh… Obviously, our countries are at war and… um, many people have died, y'know? But… sometimes I start to wonder where all this hatred began. You get what I'm saying?"

Hinoka hasn't seen him get this apprehensive about something before. I guess it was a sensitive question that's been weighing on him for a while now.

"So… You mean besides the fact that you people continue to kill my people without mercy, and such actions are evident so in today's events with my Hoshidan comrade?" she spat out without thinking.

Corrin stared at her before leaning his head back into the water. "Hmm, if that were the question I could very well answer it with a very similar response," he said. "But… I meant before all this. Before we truly fought for our countries. What _drove_ us to pick up our weapons and point them at others. What convinced us that taking the life of others is the justice that we need."

Hinoka listened to his words, her gaze locked on the stars above her. "Well…" she sighed, "I guess my main reason for being in the army is… revenge. I know it may sound like a pretentious resolve, but it's true. My father used to be a soldier, and he lost his leg fighting a Nohrian. Though he managed to escape with his life, I was only five when it all happened, and I couldn't stop thinking, _what if he never came home?_ It haunted me every night."

Corrin embraced the cold water around him as he found himself surprisingly sympathizing with a Hoshidan - something he never thought he'd ever be doing.

"There's also been the common incidents of my friends losing loved ones, or loved ones losing their homes - all at the hands of you people," Hinoka continued. "Nohrians have brought me nothing but darkness into my heart. I _need_ to help my country persevere throughout this war. I just… I need to."

Mr. Charming had his eyes closed now, and his ears were attentive to Hinoka's reasoning. He then cracked a smile.

"We're not so different after all, huh," he whispered, his tone bittersweet.

"Huh?" Hinoka asked, not having quite heard the man.

"Nothing," Corrin hummed. "I've done things I regret, as I'm sure you've done the same, so… Let's try to make the best of our situations, yeah?"

Hinoka gawked at him, not really certain what he meant by that. "Sure."

Corrin's smile widened, and though he was still hesitant about his sudden want for interaction with a Hoshidan, he couldn't help but feel drawn to the 'boy'.

"Right, well… That's enough bathing time for me," he said, swimming towards the grass and lifting himself up onto the ground. Hinoka's heart skipped a beat and her whole skin was beginning to burn up when she realized that Mr. Charming over there really did take off, well… _everything._ He was naked from head to toe and she felt stupid for not realizing it sooner. She averted her gaze from him in all his glory and closed her eyes, hoping she wasn't blushing as hard as she thought she was. Corrin had only put on his undergarments and half of his body suit before he paused, his face contorting in slight concern.

"Hiroki, you're… red as a tomato," he commented. He moved closer towards the Hoshidan soldier and kneeled down once more so they were at eye level. Hinoka felt the back of his hand press up against her forehead, and she assumed he thought she was coming down with a fever.

If only he knew that she had gotten this way because of him.

"Doesn't seem like it's a fever," he bit his bottom lip in thought. Hinoka's gaze switched from his lips down to his bare chest, his six-pack wet from the bath he had just taken. Her heartbeat began racing and she closed her eyes once more in a futile attempt to calm herself down.

This was not what she had planned. Thanks to stupid, heavenly Mr. Charming, Hinoka has strayed from her original goal. She was having a hard time radiating hate for Nohrians the way she used to when _he_ wasn't around. Why is it that she finds him so… captivating?

"I should probably check that wound now," Corrin's voice was low and husky, which wasn't helping with Hinoka's plan to relax. She slowly opened her eyes and watched as he picked up the bucket, filled it with water, and returned to her with a wet rag. "It's bleeding again?" He spoke to himself, observing the wound.

 _Oh gods,_ Hinoka prayed, _don't let him figure it out._

"The blood looks fresh," Corrin tilted his head in confusion. "How? I had you drink that potion, so it shouldn't be this bad. Then again, the injury does look thinner…" His eyes were suddenly on her. "Did you do this to yourself?"

 _Damn. He's a smart one._

"N-No," Hinoka choked out.

Corrin's focus returned to her leg. "But it looks like a brand new wound - what happened to the old one?" He paused. "Unless… You gave yourself this one on purpose to give the illusion that you haven't been healed."

 _Crap._

"Which could only mean one thing…" his voice was getting angrier the more he spoke. "Someone healed you. It was that Hoshidan _wasn't_ it?" He was growling his words.

"L-Listen, he… He was just being generous!" Hinoka defended.

"Gods, I should've killed that pesky Hoshidan while I had the chance," Corrin spat out, standing back up. He put on his armor promptly and glared into Hinoka's eyes. "Get up."

* * *

Camilla sat by the fire, munching on small berries as Leo groomed his horse with a brush. He suddenly stopped brushing and let out a big sigh.

"Camilla, I-… I'm a bit worried," he confessed. "About Corrin."

"How so?" Camilla swallowed before popping another berry into her mouth.

"He's my brother - I know him. He prefers these parts of the woods because so many fireflies gather near this river at night, and I know he loves to sit by there for some alone time." Leo laid a hand on his horse and began to pet it. "Lately he's been going there often with that Hoshidan scum."

"Hm?" Camilla hummed in interest. "What if he's just using him as an excuse to go to his favorite place?"

"Why wouldn't he just take a night stroll?" Leo said. "It'd give him the alone time he usually craves, and it makes more sense than bringing a hostage with you."

"Guess so…" Camilla trailed off before smiling. "Maybe he's fond of Hiroki."

Leo paused. "That's… unacceptable. Hiroki is the enemy, and we need him for information, not for a bonding trip."

"Is it really that hard to believe?"

"Yes," Leo answered swiftly. "My brother loathes Hoshido and all its people. There's no way he'd seek amity in that kid."

"Right," Camilla chewed, "Whatever you say."

It wasn't long before Corrin and Hinoka returned to camp, and both Camilla and Leo couldn't help but notice a change in their demeanor.

Corrin looked ticked off. _Really_ irritated. And Hinoka trailed along behind him deadpanned. Her head lowered and she stared at the ground.

"How is the wound?" Camilla inquired curiously. Hinoka sat down in silence, assuming Corrin had some angered answer to that. But when he didn't say a word, she looked up to see Camilla staring back at her expectingly.

"Uh… it's fine," she replied quietly.

"Good to hear," Camilla smiled. Leo, on the other hand, was once again tempted to comment on how they shouldn't be treating their hostage's injuries at all, but Corrin was especially bothered about something he didn't quite feel he could ask about just yet. So once more, he dropped the subject.

"It'd be smart to catch up on some sleep before the big day tomorrow," Leo proclaimed.

"You're right," Camilla nodded.

Hinoka looked over at Corrin, whose back was turned to her, and felt her heart sink a bit. She hated to admit it, but she was regretting losing the tiniest trust Corrin might've had on her. Maybe if they hadn't run into Azama and Hinata, she would have still been pondering their safety, but Hinata would surely be alive.

And things would be just a tad bit more modest with Mr. Charming.


End file.
